This is an interview with Said Saber of West Side Pharmacy in Manhattan where John was a regular customer.
 

J = John Silke
S = Said Saber

J: John was a regular customer here I understand.

S: Yes since the 70’s. 73/74

J: So that’s when you first met him. Was he in here a lot?

S: Yes, he used to come in and buy a lot of things - shaving cream, lotions, glasses; we’d talk about politics and religion. At the time he had trouble with immigration, because he was opposing the war in Vietnam, we used to talk about that war a lot.

J: How did he come across?

S: He was very friendly and funny. Always with humour, a smile on his face, you could see it every time.

J: Do you know what he was doing with his time when he was not making music, when he was being a househusband here in New York?

S: He had a house in the country in the Hamptons, and he used to go over there when Sean was little. He always was busy, walking the parks, always busy.

J: I’ve heard that in his later days he was talking about leaving New York and returning to England. Did he ever mention this?

S: Not really, he was in love with New York. New York was part of his life, New York was his life, he used to take his daily walk every day from the Dakota to the café, passing by here in front of the pharmacy, he’d say ‘good morning’ waving and go and have his coffee on the corner.

J; As I just came through Central Park, there was a crowd of around 30 people stood around the Strawberry Fields memorial.

S: Yes, there are lots of people every year, and on his birthday there are lots of people.

J: The impact of Lennon doesn’t seem to lessen over time.

J; not really because people discover his ingenuity and his, er, how he was a good in his music and his personal life and people love it, people appreciate it, especially the new generation, now they feel that they got lost between the war and what’s going on in the world with globalisation.
So they go back to the root and they find that John wasn’t only a musician, he was a leader in a lot of aspects of life.

J; What do you think John would be doing today?

S; He would be a pillar of peacemakers. I could see him helping United Nations. Going to Africa, trying to solve the middle east problems, being involved with bono and Mr Bill Clinton, helping AIDS, poverty in Africa, he would be doing something, he wouldn’t just be enjoying his  bank account, I know he would be doing, because he never cared about money he would be looking for humanity and doing something for the suffering of the world.

J: I wonder if he’d still be making good music,

S: Well he always did, look at Paul McCartney, still making music.
They were talented people, gifted.

J: What do you think of when you think of John Lennon, what is your overriding thought,

S: Well we miss him a lot, he was a wonderful human being and like everyone else, he had a mission and it was cut short and he finished.

J: You’re just glad to have known him I'm sure.

S: Not Glad, I was lucky and blessed because whenever you had a conversation with him you were enlightened and enriched by his philosophy. He didn’t talk only about music, I mean I'm not that great about music, he talked about religion, philosophy, politics, he seemed to know a lot of Buddhism, a lot of Islam, Christianity, Judaism, he really knew a lot and he was a very nice guy, always friendly.
All of us have to meet our fate, meet our lord and as we look at it, his life was cut short, but actually that’s his life. And he lived a full life and he’s not with us now but look at his memory he’s still with us. There are a lot of people in this life and you don’t hear anything about them. He’s dead and you and me are still talking about him and we just miss him and pray for his family. Miss Yoko is a wonderful lady, she has an account here.

J: She has so much energy for her age.

S: Well you know, I think when you have this spiritual thing inside you, there’s a great driving force.